The Vaccine Fear Is In The Mind, Not Backed By Scientific Data
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2021-01-19 03:37:52
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
The first three days of the world's largest vaccination drive in India have brought up three problems - adverse reactions to the vaccine, glitches in the Co-WIN app and low footfall.
The first problem is par for the course. Since not everyone taking the vaccine is constituted in the same manner, some adverse physical reaction will be reported in all vaccines. Since it is also reported in vaccines which are developed over a longer period of time by following all health protocols strictly, it will definitely be reported in all Covid vaccines as they have been developed on war footing, not by cutting corners but maybe by reducing the sample size of people tested in development phases and shortening the time required to assess such reactions. But the main thing to study here is the percentage of adverse reaction. As of now, only 580 such reactions have been reported from more than 224000 people jabbed, with two deaths that are not linked to the vaccines. This amounts to a negligible 0.26%. Still, the ICMR must keep a strong watch over the proceedings, maintain transparency and put all data in public domain.
The glitches in the Co-WIN app are a minor matter and any app that is to be used by so many people is always likely to throw up such problems in the initial stages. One is sure that the team behind the app is technically proficient to handle the same and it will be set right in a couple of days.
The low footfall is a major problem which the government will have to handle tactfully. Since frontline workers are being jabbed now and the list had been prepared in advance, they were obviously informed in time. If they are not turning up to be vaccinated, they have either been brain washed by anti-vaxxers or are fearful of adverse reactions. It is not helping the cause that the developed-in-India Covaxin is being given in clinical trial mode and the company has already asked people with medical conditions not to take it. The government has to reach out to them, and the rest of the citizens, and allay these fears. It has to be transparent and use scientific data to inform people that the adverse reactions being reported are much below scientifically admissible levels. The people have also got to realize that even if the efficacy of the vaccine is not 100 percent guaranteed, as of now it is the only scientific and preventive measure available against coronavirus and they must come forward to help the cause.
